Boys' team rebounds with senior veterans, strength, Mohawks
Text by Dan Rzewnicki, Editor in Chief
Interview by Garrett Miller, Staff Writer
December 21, 2010
While the basketball team has missed the playoffs for the last two years, head coach Damian Davies and the Blue Devils have not perceived these as bad seasons.
The Devils playoffs hopes were dashed by an overtime loss in the last game last season while the Devils finished tight the season before. Davies said that while his team missed the playoffs, he views these as successful seasons because every game meant something.
The Devils look to get back on the playoff track this season with a senior-laden team that returns several players with two years of varsity experience. “You cannot diminish the value of a senior. Their leadership and maturity is so important,” Davies said. He said he looks to the leadership of the team’s nine seniors to get the team back on track.
Among the nine seniors is Dom Strapac, a three-point sharpshooter who was a team leader in scoring last year. Also, Dylan Rominew and Caleb Orendi provide two years of varsity experience. Junior D.J. Oberdorf proved to be a key player last year as a sophomore and is sure to add talent to this veteran team.
Not only do the Devils return a veteran team, but their players return bigger and stronger thanks to off-season workouts and a training regimen from fitness expert Davies’ wife Carrie. Davies has given offseason workouts to powerhouse Burrell High School’s football team and was eager to share her workout with the boys of the basketball team.
In addition to the experienced seniors and stronger players, another new look to the team is the fresh haircuts. Many of the Devils are sporting Mohawks this season. Davies attributes the new dos to the team’s enjoyment of playing together and the players’ “connectivity as a unit.”
When Davies was asked who would have the better record this season, he or his father who is the current head basketball coach at Freeport High School and winner of last year’s section championship, Davies said that neither he nor his father could tell anyone their records from any season. In a section stacked full of private schools and powerhouse Clairton, Davies said, “You always have to remind yourself of the big picture. A couple wins down the road and you’re in it.”
The Devils are off to a strong start this year after taking first place in the Tip-Off Tournament with convincing wins over Saltsburg and Winchester-Thurston. Recently, the Devils fell just two points short in a thriller against a strong Ford City team.
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